Planning commission approves expansion of West Boise Water Renewal Facility, preserves pathway corridor

The Boise City Planning and Zoning Commission voted to approve a modification of a conditional use permit to expand the West Boise Water Renewal Facility, finding the city’s conceptual master plan acceptable and placing conditions that require subsequent design review for each phase of work.

The permit modification, described by city planning staff as a “master plan for the next decade,” would cover roughly 117 acres at the West Boise Water Renewal Facility and establishes locations for future upgrades and additions while preserving a north–south pathway corridor along the site’s western boundary.

Planning staff said the site is zoned heavy industrial with a floodplain overlay and open land with a hillside overlay and noted an extensive permitting history dating to 1973, including about 13 prior conditional-use permit modifications and multiple sensitive-land overlays. The staff presentation recommended approval with conditions requiring design-review permits for each expansion phase to address setbacks, parking, landscaping, screening, street improvements and any work within sensitive overlays.

Commissioners debated the timing and location of the planned pathway connection between Chinden Road and the Boise River Greenbelt. Commissioner Mooney said he was concerned that the commission appeared to be “getting a pass on the pathways plan” compared with other applications and that the commission should expect a clear engineering metric for safety on the trail corridor.

City planning staff (Dennis) said the pathway is shown in the city’s pathway master plan and that agency comments from the Pathways program call for “additional research into the comfortability of that pathway,” citing possible air-quality or odor considerations. Dennis said the application preserves a 16-foot corridor for the north–south connection but that the definitive alignment and details will be resolved in future design-review permitting.

Two nearby residents testified during public comment. James W. Vale of 12050 Chinden Ridge Drive asked whether the city’s references to “pathways” were synonymous with the existing Boise River Greenbelt and sought clarification on the planned connection. Everett Bailey of 12080 West Chinden Ridge Drive (recorded as “Shinden” in the hearing transcript) asked what infrastructure—buildings, parking or wetland preservation—is planned for a parcel north of his property; staff replied the master plan shows conceptual locations for an administration building and a warehouse with parking on the southern parcel but that the plan is conceptual and subject to change through design review.

Commissioner Mooney moved to approve the conditional use permit modification (filed in the record as CUP 25-4; the staff report used the address 11818 West Joplin Road while the motion referenced 11820 West Joplin Road). Commissioner Schaefer seconded. The clerk called the roll and the motion carried unanimously; recorded votes in favor were Stanley, Moore, Schaefer, Mooney, Deha and Dong.

The approval includes conditions that require the applicant—the City of Boise—to obtain subsequent design-review permits for each phase of construction and to preserve the pathway corridor shown in the submitted conceptual master plan. The commission’s approval is a final decision subject to a city council appeal if an appeal is filed within 10 days by someone who provided written or oral testimony at the hearing.

Next steps identified by staff and commissioners include detailed design-review submittals that will evaluate pathway siting, air-quality/odor considerations, floodplain and hillside requirements, and landscape and access improvements. No specific funding sources or construction timelines were provided at the hearing.